Friday, July 25, 2003

Make sure you check out Spencer's Blog for some real LOL humor. I think we have all been in that type is situation before and can really relate. If he is funnier in real life, he needs to add comedian to his resume. My gosh, I swear I had tears. I think the bird thought I was plainly insane I was laughing so hard.

I'm not an organized person. I try. I do. It just doesn't come natural to me. My brain is too clogged with what I should be doing and what I"m doing and what I'd RATHER be doing. Can you believe we are almost totally ready? Feels strangely good. Should I mention it has taken me over a week to accomplish this? Each day we tackled just a lil something and it added up nicely. Tomorrow is breakfast, dishes, one last tidy of the house and GO. Normally I'm stressed beyond relief and end up staying up doing stuff until the last minute, sleeping later than I wanted then have that stressed hangover-type headache all day. Grouchy. Not this time. I'm kinda proud.

The kids don't think they will be able to sleep tonight. TONIGHT?? They never sleep at night! They will be so pumped tomorrow. They have hinted at bringing out "camping tv", which is an old b&W 13" that was used as the camping TV when I lived at home. It's very old and bright yellow. Well, Rich came home today with a lil b&w tv/radio that can plug into the cig. lighter or AC outlet. They will be so excited. I just hope I can refrain from waking them up at 6am to show it to them LOL

Tomorrow we are OFF. Keep us in your prayers as the weather is supposed to be rainy every day. Play good while I"m gone.

To my surprise I'm not pinching anyone today. I say that because I ate a dozen boiled crabs last night and they were sooooooo good!! My dad, sister and I all ordered crabs. Everyone else had the shrimp or fish and the kids had burgers. Go figure. That was in exception to my soon-to-be 4-year-old niece. That child! She ate a corn dog (we call them corny dawgs), fries, texas toast, piece of my moms fish and FOUR crabs. My mom cleaned it for her and fed her. FOUR! My sister ate seven and was full. I love boiled crabs. MMMMM Great time was had by all. We gotta go back.

We are headed to Blue Bayou and Dixie Landin' for a few days. Should be fun to escape the heat with some water. Dixie Landin has Summer Concerts which looks to be fun. Can't wait. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. I'm not complaining of the overcast we are expecting. Should help keep the UV rays down. The kids are brown lil beans, it's ME I'm worried about. That Indian Olive-toned skin seems to have been replaced with a Moon Tan. My legs are whiter than I've ever seen. Hope I don't burn and then I'll be miserable. I remember the days when I was dark like my kids. Almost maroon. Shoot, their untanned parts are darker than my so-called tan parts!

Today is last-minute preps and getting everything loaded. Rich is at the store gathering snacks. He's rotated the tires, changed the oil, cleaned my truck out and started loading the duffel bags. The kids are about 1/2 way packed. Today is rechecking their stuff. Last time we went on an extended camping trip one of the kids (not saying names) brought 7 shirts, 5 shorts and one pair of undies. The ones they had one! ACK! I've learned to recheck their bags.

Time to check the laundry so I can finish packing. I'm sure it will get hectic once the kids awaken from their slumber and realize TOMORROW WE ARE LEAVING!!!!

Thursday, July 24, 2003

July and August are busy months for our family. Lots of bdays and anniversaries. Today is my mom and cousin's Bdays. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Tonight we are going to dinner at The Crab Palace. The name is different now, but if you were to use it I'd never know what you were talking about. Funny how that is. We still call the convienent store by my mom's house Wizard even tho the name has changed several times. I can't even tell you the current name. The highway that comes out to my house is still referred to as The Gulf Hwy. And if you said you were going to the bayou everyone would know it was Black Bayou. Want a coke? Yes. What kind? Dr. Pepper. Does that make any sense?? No, but down south we know what it means. Go figure. So, we are going to The Crab Palace and I do plan on eating some good boiled crabs MMM Can hardly wait.

I met my two youngest kids in the kitchen at 6:15 a.m. They had been up all night. Now they are crashed. It will be hell to get them up and ready to go eat. They'll be hungry and probably moody. Ugh.

Last night I went to a Lady Remington Jewelry party. The company was great, the hostess was wonderful. The "Lady Remington" was... hokie. She's new.. and she needed to get her act together. The party was given to help her out and now I hope she sees nobody really wants some plastic-looking rocks on an elastic stretch cord with big, fake silver beads between them for a whooping $46.00. I kid you not! Yes, I did buy a something. I'm hoping to save it Cmas for my oldest. I may have to give it to her earlier. Maybe a "Congrats on going to Sr. High" first day of school necklace? I'll see.

My Giddy Friend went with me to the party last night. We had a good time. We always do when we are together. She's still ga-ga with her new man. This weekend is "meeting the kids" weekend. I'm sure her kids will be thrilled. They'll love putting him through the test. (grin) Ms Giddy delivered a basket of goodies for my Bday! Whoo hooo. I dunno which is the best - the frog picture frame, the candle which I needeed very much, the note pads, the froggy plant stick, or the electric car freshener that plugs into your cigarette lighter. Now, Ms. Giddy knows I'd never buy these things for myself but that I'd want them. She did good!

Who knows what today will bring? More packing for the kids - ohyah, gotta wash.. bye!

Tuesday, July 22, 2003

Busy day. Busy week! Counting down for vacation. Tonight was Bonko at a friends. We had a great time. Good food, good friends. What more is there?

I actually took a nap today after work! I get off at 3 and Bonko wasn't until 6:30. Took me a bit to fall asleep. If the thunder would not have scared the begeezers out of me I really think I would have slept all night. I refused coffee tonight. Hoping that helps. Normally the caffiene doesn't bother me, but I'm not willing to take a chance at this point. Anything to bring on sleep.

I've got a zillion things to get done this week. Should make the week fly by. And the kids wondered why I had them pack last night??

Monday, July 21, 2003

Happy Birthday to me.

It was a wonderful day. Work was steady but not rushed. Sometimes that can set the mood for the day. I am blessed with a wonderful family and lots of beautiful friends. Yes, I am blessed. Amid this horrific world inundated daily with horror stories, war and crime, I am blessed in my own little part of the world. Look around. I'm sure you can count your blessings too. I've seen an ad for a show called "Pay it Forward." I hope I'm able to catch it. I think the world is ready for some good stories for a change.

Speaking of... I've known Derbs for ... well, years now. I've wiggled my way into Derbs's family via the world of blogging. Her blog branches off to Laura and Dy, who each branch off and the list goes on. Due to that "branching" I've cyberly met Nelle (who has branches of her own too!). All of these people have made some sort of impression on me or I would not deligently read their blogs. By reading their blogs, I'm reminded of the love of a family and what it really means to be a true family. They are pretty remarkable. They remind me a lot of my own family. Maybe that's why it was so easy to wiggle in?

Friday, July 18, 2003

Why it pays to be nice......

You'll get more bees with hunny than with vinegar. So true!

I love to watch my dad in "action." He's so calm about hammering home his point when argueing with someone. Right is right, wrong is wrong. Like the time he told one man when a deal went sour, "Ya know, my daddy always told me a man was worth his handshake and yours ain't worth shit." He says it so calmy and collectly that the other person doesn't even see it coming. I tried, I just don't have it in me. I'm learning!

I pay the bills online - great feature. If your bill arrives late the bank will pay the fees. Sounds good. My check arrived late to pay my cell phone. This month I get the bill and I have a late fee. Call the bank. Ask the woman, who was very nice, to please look in to this. I have always payed my bill on the 10th and have never been late. DING! I'll call the cell phone company.

Rinnnng. I'm lucky enough to get a man. hehehe After explaining that I have always paid my bill on the 10th and never had a late fee, he looks it up. I'm correct. But apparently I should have been because my bill is due 28 days after it is printed and the Pay By date is on there. I swear, this is the first bill that I have seen that Pay By part. I was just glad they didn't decide to suddenly charge me for all these years and made a note to pay the bill even earlier than I do now. The nice man asks if he can check on something. He confirmed that I get free nights/weekends. Nights start at 9pm? Yes. He says because I have been a customer for over 2 yrs I can get mine to start at 8pm instead! WOW. Now all my friends on the East coast will get to hear from me. Won't they be happy! I was tickled pink. See, it pays to be nice... and a lil southern charm goes a long way.

VENT - you were warned. Though you may not agree with the following, please understand it is a VENT and is subject to change at any given moment without advance notice. This is how I feel at this very moment.

I do not like the media. Hate is a strong word and I don't like to use it. I do not like the way they imply things to the public, the way they present the different angles in a distorted way.

For instance: Y2K

Reporting to put fear into people is not what I call reporting. Is not reporting supposed to be objective? Not slanted. Mass hysteria was Y2K - I blame the media.

For instance: The woman who hit the man and he lodged in her windshield

Yes, she was wrong. Very wrong. Why wasn't the angle of an aide on drugs, not rendering aid, etc., taken more seriously? Why was not her employer interviewed? Former people she took care of? Nope. The media chose instead to portray it as a white/black thing. They claimed she "bragged" at a party she hit a white man. Okay, I hit a lil brown dog before. Yes, brown. It's a descriptive word so you can form the picture in your head. I'd like to think she said a white man to narrow down the race - white, black, mexican, hispanic, asian, korean, etc. A man is too broad a word. Women often use more descriptive words than men. Listen when men talk. You will see. They won't describe the neighbors new furniture and having plush material, fluffy cushions and a pattern that will go with any decor. No. They will say the neighbor got a new sofa. That's it. How does this statement of her hitting a white man make her racial? How did it get turned into a black/white thing? One word. Media. They lay the trap, the bait is irresistable. SNAG! You're taken in. Close your eyes - think about a person hitting another person with a car and leaving him there to die. Shouldn't THAT be the issue? Why didn't it turn in to a man-hatting woman who was abused by former lovers and seeking revenge? They knew that would never take off like a black/white issue. It's all about ratings baby!

This takes us to the current news. The man hitting and killing 10 people.

While this is a horriific tragedy, and yes, age does come into play regarding judgement, etc.. but why age the first thing the media tosses out?? Today I saw a video on the news with this same man having driven his car onto a retaining wall about 10 years ago. What's that got to do with him today??? Oh, and he hit the garage with his car too, recently. AND? I can't tell you how many bicycles, tricycles, shopping carts, etc. people hit daily. And people of all ages too. Heck, I clipped a pole once in my mid 20s and dented the passenger door. I had been driving for a few years so I wasn't inexperienced and I wasn't old either. Accidents happen. Period.

I'm waiting for all the facts to come out before making a call on this one. Did he get confused? Have a stroke? Seizure? Freak out?! (and who wouldn't have??) I'm not jumping on the bandwagon to lynch this man before gathering information. Is not that what this country is about? Presumed innocent until proven guilty? Not this poor man. Because of the media, everyone will be doing double takes at old people. Questioning their judgement, trying to get them off the road. I can see the media leading the people to suspend driver's lisences when people get to a specific age. No driving allowed! Too risky! We can avoid tragedy this way.

Remember, you will be old one day too. Who should make these calls about you?

Thursday, July 17, 2003

Bad storms pushed through just North of us. Whew. I hate lightening and wind, can't handle strong winds. We watched the lightening from the front porch and I was so glad it was not hitting us. :::shiver::::

Went and had coffee with the neighbor this afternoon. That was nice. Haven't visited with her in a good while. She had family over, whom I know, and it was nice to all sit and visit. I should get out more. I'm a hermit.

Even though I work at home, I still must work in order to keep my job and ensure a paycheck. Many people cannot grasp the concept that I must actually DO the work, therefore I must be AT my desk and not shopping, running errands, cleaning, cooking, watching tv, eating lunch out, having coffee at 9 am, etc. Go figure. When they start paying for the aforementioned, I'll be the first in line-trust me.

Laundry. Does it EVER stop? I'm trying to stay on top of things in anticipation of vacation. I do not want to start washing clothes the night before we pack. I'm not a neat freak and not really organized in my housework. You have your choice. The laundry can be done or the house can be clean. I just can't seem to get both happening at the same time. I tried to do the one load a day of wash, fold, put up. The put up seemed to sit in the basket and pretty soon the whole darn week was sitting in baskets and thus laundry came to a screeching halt. Some days I just don't feel like being a slave to laundry. I think Ms. S (a friend of mine) was right. We need disposable clothes.

We missed the orthodondist. Shoot! I remembered when I got out the shower tonight. I bet they hate me LOL. I honestly didn't do it on purpose.

We must be getting old. Rich and I were talking about 401ks and retirment. Guess those things inch into your mind when you are middle-aged.

It's 1pm and the kids are still sleeping! Makes for a quiet work day. How will they get up EARLY on vacation? Boy, they are gonna sleep good those nights. To be young. NOT. If I was able to pick what age I'd want to stay, it would be mid 30s. Life is grand.

Today is my grandfathers birthday. He is 88! Happy Bday PawPaw. I brought him a snowcone the other day. Watermellon. On a hot day any flavor would have been good, but I know how much he loves watermellon. His tongue was pink and he got a kick out of that.

Wednesday, July 16, 2003

Work is slow again today. I don't mind the break - gives me a chance to read email, to which I found:

Go to GoogleType in "weapons of mass destruction." Hit the I'm feeling lucky button. Read very carefully. Who finds this stuff? Who writes this stuff?? Freaky.

One of my friends is at the beginning of a relationship. They are in that awkward mode. You know you like each other, do you make the commitment to "date?" Do you call each other friends? Close friends? They see each other almost daily, they talk on the phone daily. I told her today she was giddy. I can even tell in her emails that she's happy. Not that this is leading down the isle of matromony, but it's good to see her having her own happiness and not just happiness through her kids. Now that I've talked about her, do I have to send her the link to my blog?? She'd be a good blogger. I many have to hook her up!

Tuesday, July 15, 2003

Today was... long due to long pauses between work. Wet... it rained this afternoon. Productive... we put the stuff in the camper and lowered it. We're a little closer to vacation. Mind boggling... ever get some news and go WHAT? Did they think that thru? I'm hoping for the best. We'll see how it plays out. I refuse to worry about it. I've used Rich as a sounding board and have decided it's not my baby, I ain't rocking it. I can't help/fix everyone. ::sigh:: I feel so much better.

Snowcones. The best summer treat. They were such a good ending to a long tiring day. I'm gone to bed now. Hopefully I'll sleep. I have the whole bed to myself. See ya in the morning, Rich!

I got caught up in channel surfing last night. What did I find? I found Lisa Marie Presley on David Letterman. She sang. I guess you'd call it that. Her voice is monotone. I never could hear any range nor could I understand what she was saying. She didn't seem to look comfy either. Maybe that's just me. I wonder what others think of her singing ability?

Remember my lil socks I got on sale? I got all ready this morning and slathered up my feet with Bath & Body Shea Butter. Then I got out the socks. Ugh, they are gonna be too small!? NOPE! They fit these big ole feet with room to spare. Gotta love it. I got bigfooted- as Sarah use to say (barefooted) and my heels get dry and icky. Hopefully this will help. Sure feels good.

HAHAHA - Orthodondist just called, again! Seems we've missed yet another appointment. Oh? Is that so? Sowwy. NOT. They are so rude there. #2S got his braces on at 10 am and by the time he came home at 3:30 one was off! And it had been off for a good while. I called the office, THEY told me to rush over and get it fixed as they would be closed all the next week - Mardi Gras. Once I'm there the woman asks why I didn't just cut it off and wait. Uhm, yall told me to come in? Then she asks if I wanted her to fix it or reschedule. I just drove from the country all the way here because you told me to come right in and now you are asking if I want to reschedule??? NOT! Then, when I questioned her about putting wax, etc., because #2S was too afraid to ask, she proceeds to say, "D, didn't you watch that film this morning? Didn't I discuss this with you?" I was so pissed. She fixed his braces. And it was not my imagination that she put them suckers xtra tight on my poor baby boy! WITCH. So, what's a mom to do? I just miss an appointment here and there. Let them go have a smoke break! We'll try again on Thursday.

Sunday, July 13, 2003

Last night was a blast. Got home around 1:30. If you like games, Skip-Bo is a great card game. Easy to learn, lots of fun. Even my 14-year-old played all night with us.

My sister's chili was fantastic. MMM. Mom brought brownies. We stuffed our faces, sent the kids to the rooms to play and sat down for games. We laughed, we remembered things from the past, we had a blast. I think we drove my dad crazy with our giggling and singing the theme songs to all the shows we use to watch.

This morning Rich and I went shopping. Seems like we spend more on preparing for vacation LOL I hit a great sale on beach towels at Kmart. 50% off! Got odds and ends for the trip. Those must-haves like sunscreen, stuff for the emergency kit, paper plates, bottled water, toilet paper, sunglasses for the kids. Makes vacation more exciting, dontcha think? Today we plan to load the camper and lower it. (It's a popup) One step closer. I say this because it's my goal to one day become organized, or at least be ahead of schedule.

Right now Rich is cooking a gumbo outside on his two burner propane thingie. Can't wait. I'll make potatoe salad. He loves to cook when he is off and it's such a load off of me and he is a great cook to boot. I'm off to soak up some humidity and maybe darken my legs a lil before vacation. Seems I have a moon tan.

Saturday, July 12, 2003

I hate to shop. Dunno why. Always have. We needed things so I was forced to go.

1. Library - dropped books off and will return tomorrow for a lazy afternoon of looking for others.
2. JC Pennys's - It's great to find a good deal. Even better when you need something AND it's on sale. Towels $5.00 each, pillows $8.00 each. Gotta love it!
3. Marshall's - #1D "mom, do we HAVE to? I don't like that store." Me, "Watch it, or I'll spend the entire afternoon here." Needless to say, they all had a great time. We must have just walked in after trucks delivered. Jessica got some great-smelling lotion for $3.00, undies, slide on tenny shoes. I got some socks that you put on after you moisturize. Wasn't about to pay full price. I can hang with $3.00. Then I racked up on some syrup by Davinici that I have been searching hi and low for! They had three bottles and I bought them all. hehehe The kids had a great time trying on goofy shoes and digging on the shelves for hidden treasures.
4. Target - undies for #1D (yes, she loves undies), starter bras for #3D, exchanged shoes for #2S, poked around and decided to get chips, dip, snackie foods, etc. there instead of going to Walmart.

I asked at Derbs Blog if there was a way to link blogs with a search engine. Apparently there is! Click on the icon of a Sun above. Kinda nifty all the things you can do with a Blog. Much better than a pet rock!

I was up at 6, snoozed til 7. Woke son up - he has to paint the stripes in the church parking lot with the other Boy Scouts. We roll on down the road half asleep and giggling about how much we would rather be in bed. We arrive to find 2 other cars in the parking lot. We sit for one hour. We decide donuts would taste good. On the drive back home there are no cars in the lot. Guess everyone had the same idea we did. It was nice to have time alone to talk to my son. Silliness goes a long way with kids and they don't forget that kinda stuff. I know I won't.

Now we are home, waiting for the Princess to awaken so we can go shopping. I really need to soak my head (wash my hair) and shave my legs before going to town. Even in capris you can't hide. Oh well. Wonder who thought of shaving? Hmm.. Google time!

Friday, July 11, 2003

This whole Blogger thing, kinda weird/neat. I mean, you can peek into peoples lives and they don't know it. Well, peeking into what they share. Anyways, I spent the better half of the afternoon leaping from one Blogspot to another. It's kinda addicting. What will they post? How was their day? I have to check out the links on that other blog I found this morning. Is there a witty response to a TagBoard? It just gets crazy! But so much fun. Lil soap operas online.

I can see it now. The ole joke about "you know it's bad when you have 15 numbers to reach 3 family members" is gonna be replaced with "I don't have time to talk right now, but you can find out what's in our lives by reading our blogs. We make sure and blog daily. It strengths the children's writing skills and keeps everyone on the same page."

Tomorrow is a full day of Boy Scouting, finding THE perfect bathing suit for #1D and whatever the youngest can convince me we absolutely need for vacation. Gearing up and preparing are half the fun.

Tomorrow night is family night. I mean family. My sis is cooking a pot of chili and my family (minus hubby because he has to work) and my parents are headed over to my sisters for an evening of card games and probably dominoes. The kids will play, the adults will laugh and holler. Can't wait. I remember getting together as a kid with my cousins and I want my kids to have those kinda memories. I should be worn out tomorrow night and get some sleep.

Last night I was back in bed after blogging and zzzz until 6am! WOW. I was kinda disappointed hubby slept on the couch. I like feeling him there in the bed. He said he was "respecting" me by watching tv in the living room so I could sleep. I guess all those lil talks are sinking in after all. HAHA

#3D - Mom, when we leave for vacation, that morning, can you make eggs? Like this? (holds up egg sandwich)
Me - Sure! I can do that.
#3D - Good. That would make it special. Eggs do that. And vacations are special. So we'll have eggs on a special day.

I must be a type A personality. Straaange people in this world. I work at home. Hence WORK. I do not have time for or want solicitors. Take the following:

Screen door opens, knock on the door. I sit at the computer near the door so I was up to answer it. Mental note made the screen door was not latched.

Man: Hi -extending hand- I'm _____.
He looks a lil concerned when I don't open the screen door and shake his hand. I check the door knob with my other hand to be sure it's locked.

Me: Yes?
Man: We are in the neighborhood today (we? I don't see anyone with him) and, are yall church-going people?
Me: Yes, we are. (alarms going off he is trying to convert me)
Man: Good. That's good. Do yall have school-aged kids in the home?
Me: Yes, we have children. (if he asks their ages I'm shutting the door in his face)
Man: That's really good, really good. We are selling christian things to families with school-aged children, do you have a place I can come in and sit and show you some things?
Me: No. I'm not interested. Thank you anyway.
Man: Uhm, hmm, okay, ..... (he mumbles something and I shut the door)

He may have been on the up-and up, but it gave me caution in wondering why a man is in a neighborhood on a weekday when most men are at work and he's wanting to come inside houses?
Normally my neighbors start the phone tree and we warn each other. We'll all go to the backs of our houses and not answer the door while the others are giving play-by-play what is happening on our porches. haha I'll have to call my neighbor today and see if she was napping or eating bon-bons while lying on the couch watching the soaps.

Last night, when I was supposed to be going to bed early.. NOT! AT 12:30 I'm locating #2D and #3S to turn out those darn lights and GET TO BED! I hate having our bedroom right next to their bathroom. I'm very happy they are as close as peanut butter and jelly, but at 12:30 am I don't really care to hear them in a fit of giggles while the other is digging for flippers in the bathroom cabinet! ARGH. Where was my husband? He was chatting online with a friend of mine - whom he didn't tell wasn't ME. I'm sure this woman now thinks I'm totally insane HAHA. Then Hubby has the nerve to come to bed like I asked, only to hunt for the remote. HELLO?? You gotta get up at 5 am and you want to watch tv? Yah, and 4 minutes later HE was snoring and I was still fuming. GRRR.

Update on Gus. Yes, he did pass on July 2. No, the nurse did not call my grandfather and tell him (they only do that in movies). Horris called me this morning to tell me Gus died and how my grandfather was taking it hard because he didn't know. Uhm, he did, he told US last week. Hopefully the doctor will be able to tell us if it is just my grandfather's age (87) or if he did have a stroke. My grandfather claims he had one because "he got dizzy and is not right in his head." You'd have to know him to understand. He thinks women who have a hysterectomy go insane. Old School. We don't dare tell him my SIL has had one.

Ya know what I hate - a rude wrong number. You can call and say, "Oh, I"m sorry, I must have dialed the wrong number." But dont' call and say, "Taneesha!? U call?" Uhm, no, you have the wrong number. Then the woman argues with me if I am Taneesha (HUH?) and that SOMEone from this number called her. Uhm, no, sorry.

It has rained twice already. I hear we have a storm due t hit the Gulf by Saturday. Keep your fingers crossed everyone!

Wednesday, July 09, 2003

Busy Mom must have been to our Target too, all the 75% stuff was picked over. The kids got water shoes for vacation to the amusement park/water park. Should be fun. I vacuumed the camper, put the sheets on the bed, loaded the blankets, cleaned, etc. Last minute we'll toss our clothes in and hit the road. We'll set up camp, hit the store for snacks and hit the water park then slink over to the amusement park for a summer concert. That's the plan. I should know better than to plan. We shall see.

After messing around in the camper, I showered and we headed to town. That's southern for we went shopping. Or we tried to at least. What's with stores? Don't they understand some of us don't get moving until the moon comes out?? Dollar General, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree all close too early.

Tuesday, July 08, 2003

MMM, I was right. Rich BBQd. I'm biased, of course, but he is the BEST BBQer I know :) I'll eat his steaks at home before I'll order steak out to eat. This time he did chicken. My fav. MMM

Today was another hard day at work. Other gal still out and I'm covering. Naturally we had a flood of work. Day is over, tomorrow she will be back, life goes on. Soon vacation will be here for me

It rained on and off all day long. That good kind of rain where it's steady and the whole house get pitch black. Makes you look at the clock asking, "What time is it?" just before the bottom falls out. Everyone who knows me, knows I'm terrified of bad weather. Wind. And lightening. But a good rain is always nice. Especially when you can hear it falling on the tin roof of the porch. I told ya we live in the south!

Good day after a horrible night. I finally was able to get into bed and was sleepy. Something must be wrong with my internal clock because I ain't been sleeping good for months now it seems. Anyways, last night was was all sleepy-eyed. Reading The Beach House could have something to do with it. (I finished the book today!) I crawl into the cool sheets and snuggle up to the pillow. Hubby shuffles the kids (and their company) to the front of the house telling them to keep it down to a low roar because Mom's to bed. Ahh...gotta love when he works the night shift and he is all outa whack with his sleep pattern. He oversees the nights with company. I vaguely remember him slinking into the bed and snuggling up against me. I refused to check the time. I knew the math would start. You know... the math you can't do to see if the teenager cashier gave you the right amount of change while the kids are whining for you to hurry so they can get home to play the game you've rented, but the kind you can do at 1 a.m. to see how many hours you have before the alarm. Then you are awake and have to potty. Now ya gotta re-do the entire math thingy because the potty trip messed you up! At 3 am the kids plus the guest they had over crashed my bedroom with flashlights hollering "the electricity is out!" Gosh, I didn't even have time to wake up from the dead silence of the electricity being out. After locating the radio for emergencies and kissing the knot on #3D's head from running into the doorframe in the dark, I called the electric company. After 10 mins on hold I was told they knew of the problem and it would be fixed by 4:30. Great. Now I gotta locate the Big Ben windup clock and figure out how to set the darn thing. Okay, done. Potty. Math again. Get in bed and lie there. Dead silence. And it's getting hot now. We live in the south, it gets hot fast when that ceiling fan ain't whirling. Arm over snoring husband, one leg out from under covers... ahh.. sweet sleep. NOT. "MOM, the electricity is on again!" It's 3:40. ARGH! Reset alarm. Pray I've correctly turned off Big Ben and he won't scare the begeezers out of me in the morning. Check the neighborhood out the bathroom window. Yes, bathroom again! Math. Get in bed. Drift off to the sound of the whirling fan and hubby sleeping.

At 6:10 I'm awake and plodding to the computer for work. Hubby wakes up around 9. Kids?? 1pm before they stirred. They had the nerve to ask me just now why I was so tired??

Monday, July 07, 2003

I'm liking this blogger stuff. Kinda like a journal for all the world to see. Those that I let into my world at least.

#3D (Daughter, third kid) wants to shave. She's 8! I'll admit, she does have hairy legs, but an 8-year-old shaving? She's very self-conscience about it. I'm holding out for at least 5th grade. That seems to be the age they want to make good impressions on the opposite sex. Right now she is "one of the boys" when it comes to guy friends. She can catch a turtle lickity-split and just as good as any ole' stinkin boy. Makes a mamma proud!

#2S (Son, second kid) just asked if he could shave. What's with this shaving?? He's 11. I jokingly asked if he had anything to shave. He proudly displaced his... forearm!? LOLOL Oh gosh, where do they get this stuff?

#1D (Daughter, oldest) is a typical 14-year-old. Phone is glued to her ear and she only graces us with her presense at mealtime or to give us the phone because someone has Beeped in on call-waiting and has interrupted her phone time. She's a good kid. She's at that between stage of too old for kiddie things and not quite old enough for those more mature Teen things. No wonder I have gray hair!

Rich cooked supper. Mexican Cornbread. I'm stuffed. He's off the next few days so he will kick into Mommy Mode and do the cooking and overseeing the kids' squabbles. We make a good team. After 15 years. we are getting to where I no longer have to say "Hunny! Could you see if they drew blood? They sure are screaming and I"m trying to work!!" Now I can sit and work knowing he has applied pressure and is locating the bandages Kidding!

Now the kids are in their rooms trying to win at Playstation. #1D is getting antzy for the night to creep in so she can once again stay up all night watching TV, listening to the radio and I'm almost positive making late-night calls to friends who have their own phone lines and can get calls - gotta love summer when you are a teen. Rich is at Academy drooling over camping equipment. I'm fixin to plop on the couch and get lost in The Beachhouse.

Sunday, July 06, 2003

Do you ever think about getting old? At one point or another you have thought about what you will look like, wear your hair and how high will your pants go up?? No, I'm talking about more serious issues. Like, will you suddenly become a nuisance to your kids? Will you be grumpy? Will you be one of those demanding old folks? How will you spend your days?

I say this because of my grandfather. He lives next door. He's a good person, he's just .. well..he's old. He calls for the most mudane things. Then prefers to get on the phone and tell his friends and other family members that nobody comes, nobody calls and he's hurting with this or that ailment. Let me share with you the drama of today.

He called yesterday to say Gus died. I've never met Gus, nor do I know where he fits into our family tree. I've heard the name over the years though, so the name is not a total mystery. When someone passes, they suddenly become top apple on the tree. Tons of Gus stories seem to fall. My grandfather is shaken. Perhaps he is thinking of his own mortality? After all, he is 87. He says Gus has passed and has been cremated.

Today the version is different. Now my grandfather cannot remember WHO told him of Gus's passing. Or the exact date. He thinks he may have dreamed this. Now he's calling my mother asking her to call family members we really don't know all that well and ask these personal questions. Last my grandfather can remember, he was told Gus was sick and they would call with news. My mom is stuck between a rock and hard place. Do you ask "How is Gus?" or "what's the news on Gus?" and how do you explain in a tactful way your reson for calling out of the blue and asking about a family member?

We sit and wait for news of Gus. I sit and think of how I will be when I'm old. Will my children feel as though I'm bugging them? Will they understand my lonliness? Will they share there lives with me and not think I am trying to be nosey? How will I pass the time if I am alone in my old age? Sometimes we need to stop and think of how they feel too. One day we will also be in their shoes.

I sure hope I can remember the feelings I had the day I typed this. Especially when my grandfather calls to say "Hey! Where is your dog? I don't see her in the yard?" To him, those things ARE important. He is protecting me.. helping me. And one day he won't be here to do that.

Saturday, July 05, 2003

We did the Fourth of July stuff - fireworks. That's about it for us. No BBQ as hubby had to work. I enjoyed every minute of it. Sitting in my chair while the kids ran amuck to light this and that. Gotta love life through kids eyes. I have to admit, sparklers ain't what they use to be. Lil sticks that the "fire" drops off and they are hard to hold onto. Oh well. They enjoyed lighting, I enjoyed watching.

Every summer it seems I push more for the kids to read. With a more relaxed schedule it's a bit easier. I'm proud to say they enjoy reading. They think it's a cool thing to lounge and read on rainy days. Sarah finished her very first big book. Complete with chapters. She was beaming because her book was 10 chapters long. I sat here at the computer and watched her reading. You could tell she was lost in her own little world of the book. Totally zoned out. She never heard her daddy walk by or him and I whispering.

I was able to finish my book too. Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas. It was good. Not as good as I'd hoped, but still a good read. My parents are back from their most recent vacation. Six weeks of traveling around the country, camping with their club and going to square dance conventions of other groups. Square dance? Yup, that's right. Kinda strange, but hey, they are cool parents. They rode motorcycles for years. They traded that in after Dad saw a friend get killed. They now toot around in a motor home. They zipped to Colorado to visit my aunt and grandmother. They stopped in at the Russell Stover's chocolate factory. OMG! They spent over 75.00 on candy! Word to the wise... never over indulge in good chocolate. Yah, I was able to finish my book in one "sitting." ugh.

It' hot. It's the south, it's supposed to be hot. It could be hotter. I hope it's not too hot at the end of this month. We are going to Blue Bayou/Dixi Landing for a summer concert. We plan on staying for about 4 days. The kids could live in the water. Hopefully I'll get to visit the Tanger Outlet. I hear it has great stuff.

Friday, July 04, 2003

Well, here I am. I am finally walking in high cotton! Thanks to Derbs, who enlightened me to Blogger. Now I can post my random thoughts and all the wonderful things that happening in one spot for all to read.